The repair industry in the aftermarket has always been subjected to criticism due to its uncertainty and mistrust. The lack of a standard operation procedure to conduct an inspection or diagnose an issue has led to a constant battle of damaged reputation.

With the introduction of Digital Vehicle Inspections (DVI), the industry has seen tremendous change and even growth. Through this blog, let us discuss how dealers have stepped up their game of inspection through transparent work models through DVI's integration.

And discuss how customers have more informed decision-making power when it comes to their vehicles. We will also be looking at some positive changes that DVI has brought over the past few years, contributing to road safety.

What Are Digital Vehicle Inspections?

DVIs have slowly become an industry standard that all dealers have adopted for their various advantages that manual inspection cannot provide. Before we get into the advantages of the same, let us first understand how DVI conducts inspections differently. 

Digital inspection includes a software-driven method to inspect vehicles. It involves the use of handy devices such as mobile phones instead of traditional pens and paper. The digital tools in this vehicle inspection software identify the vehicle's conditions and suggest necessary repairs, keep a timeless record of the findings, and communicate it to the owner.

After repairs are done for the issue that the customer logs, the technician can conveniently send the pictures to the customer through the software in real time. Such transparency and efficient flow of the process has resulted in DVIs being adopted worldwide as a standard practice.

What Are the Benefits of Digital Vehicle Inspection?

An average American knows little to nothing about the functioning of the car they drive or the vehicle they possess. This results in great distrust towards vehicle repair shops. Let us understand the changes that digital vehicle inspection has brought in the aftermarket:

  1. Increase the Efficiency of Technician
  2. Build Trust of Your Customers
  3. Reduced Chances of Human Error
  4. Has Become an Industry Standard
  5. Present a Modern and Innovative Experience to Customers
  6. Upsell Without Affecting the Trust of Customers
  7. Keep an Accurate Record for Compliance and Insurance Companies

  1. Increase The Efficiency of Technicians

The traditional methods of inspection involve taking notes of the symptoms or issues on a piece of paper by the technician, which is later filed and stored away along with other files. This method turned out to be inconvenient and inefficient over time, as it became difficult to keep records and find records or files when they were needed.

Digital inspection software has conveniently tackled this issue with a user-friendly interface that can be accessed and operated with any device, including mobile devices. It has become extremely useful among repair shops as it helps in saving the cost of administration and saves time in searching for the right information.

  1. Builds Trust of Your Customers

There are several negative connotations attached to repair shops due to the history of repair shops taking advantage of naive customers. Several misconceptions of being upsold have been encountered by customers, which ends up in large bills.

Digital inspection has provided transparency that has helped in rebuilding the trust that was once lost. With AI and digital inspections, customers can understand their vehicles better and tend to the needs of their machines without merely trusting a technician.

The dealership can easily provide a complete inspection report to the customer so that they trust the dealer with their vehicle and money. In the future, the same customer is more likely to return to the same dealer for the quality of service and transparency.

  1. Reduced Chances of Human Error

Paper and pen were the traditional methods of recording an inspection and maintaining data. This record was convenient a few years ago, as nothing more efficient was created then. Since new technology has swamped the aftermarket, customers prefer more interactive and transparent services to stay aware.

With digital inspections, each repair can be easily recorded and with evidence in the form of pictures within the vehicle inspection software. This picture is also shared with the customer in real time. Compared to paper and pen methods, this is more accurate and reduces the chances of human error.

The first half of the day without a digital inspection facility can be productive, but towards the second half of a long shift, busy day, or heavy work, technicians could make errors in recording data. This is completely natural and is bound to happen in any case, but digital software eliminates any chances of this taking place.

  1. Has Become an Industry Standard

The demand for integrating digital inspection facilities has been growing every day, and amidst this, customers are more inclined toward convenience. With minimal contact service through vehicle inspection software, customers have more freedom in choosing which service is immediately required or could compromise the driver's safety.

This also gives the customer a sense of dependability, as they can leave their vehicle with the dealership and come back when the repairs are complete. While most prefer to stay and observe to stay aware of what is going on.

  1. Present a Modern and Innovative Experience to Customers

In this era of everything digital, customers expect to have more control over what they are signing up for which is why a modern approach to their repair service is an advantage on any given day. Almost every activity performed by a customer during their day involves a digital touch whether it's bills, ordering groceries, planning their day, traveling, and much more.

In addition to this, digitizing repair services provides a modern and innovative experience to customers. Emailing or texting live updates about the customer's vehicle is an innovative solution to making customers trust the service providers better. Accurate repair estimates are produced and sent to customers along with pictures and videos, that act as evidence.

This real-time exchange of information allows customers to make more informed decisions regardless of where they are.

  1. Upsell Without Affecting the Trust of Customers

When conducting an inspection through digital inspection software, the technician can mention relevant work that needs to be done on the vehicle. In most cases, the customer prefers to choose what they get done on the vehicle and this gives them a sense of authority.

Documenting the repairs that must be done on the vehicle in order of urgency can help the customer understand where to invest their maintenance money. In most cases, the service advisor only highlights those issues that the customer might say yes to, which results in several issues not being discussed. This raises the risk of the customer-facing another issue soon after the repair is performed.

With the integration of DIV, the technicians can record every repair and replacement within the software regardless of which the customer chooses. This allows the dealerships to take accountability and provide better service to their customers.

  1. Keep An Accurate Record for Compliance and Insurance Companies

There are instances of customers returning with persistent problems and even new problems right after a service is completed. This happens due to gaps in communication and trust. This gap is successfully filled by digital inspection software as it records every tiny part that needs repair or replacement. This record can be viewed by the customer as well.

The record-keeping through the software is solid proof against any claims that could be made in the future regarding quality of service or errors. Pictures, videos, and other records are solid, unarguable proof.

This is also beneficial for insurance companies to analyse the condition of the vehicle to ensure no fraud is committed by both parties.

How Has the Integration of Digital Vehicle Inspection Contributed to Road Safety?

The most efficient use of digital inspection software has been its contribution to improving road safety. About 30% of vehicle accidents are caused by mechanical failure, which is a result of inefficient inspection methods. DVIs successfully eliminate the chances of human error and provide a 360-degree report of the vehicle.

With better awareness about the vehicle, customers can make an informed decision about which repair to conduct first, which could lead to bigger problems, thus contributing to road safety.

In Conclusion

With more and more dealerships prioritizing customer retention and satisfaction, it is essential to adapt to market trends. With the help of vehicle inspection software, dealerships can improve their efficiency, increase their chances of upselling, and protect themselves with efficient bookkeeping.

After discussing the benefits of integrating this software, it is easier to see why more and more dealerships across the world are adopting this method. Also, it is evident why this has changed the traditional ways of car maintenance.